Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Be Where You Are And Do What You Are Doing

To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future. The idea is simply not to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future. If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, the object of your mindfulness and concentration. You can attain many insights by looking into the past, but you are still grounded in the present.

-Buddhist saying

Be Here Now.

-Ram Dass

Zen is being where you are and doing what you’re doing.

-Michael Brown

Being here now, being where you are, and doing what you’re doing sounds incredibly simple until you actually try to do it. I feel reasonably grounded within myself but my mind and my body are rarely in the same place. As I write these notes I am already home in my mind, happy that another work day is over. It takes some effort to be mindful. The truth is that I don’t always like where I am or what I am doing. To be one with reality and to be one with a desired reality is not the same thing. Most of us struggle on a daily basis to accept reality and to flow with it. I realize after many years of introspection that I have a personality that often fights reality. Sometimes I feel that when I am trying to be mindful of reality by being her now and doing what I am doing, I am sleeping with the enemy. The reality I want and the reality I have are sometimes in conflict. Still, I try to practice my Zen and my mindfulness, hoping for an insight that will give me a new way of seeing things. So, for the time being I will be here now until 4:00 PM. After that, wherever I go, there I am.

About Me

I am a 66 year old retired hippie who once lived in a monastery and who strives to live a meaningful life. I enjoy books, music, films, writing, and spending time with my granddaughter. I strive to have a Zen mind and I seek this through the practice of mindfulness and contemplative living. I am an INFP on the Myers-Briggs and a Type Four on the Enneagram. Follow my thoughts on Twitter @tiedyedmystic.